Railway-switch-operating apparatus



April 23, 1929.

E. G. LITTLE RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ml m Ml III Filed June 29, 1927 V o w 5 Wm w/ u 7 gal/Z I 0 Z 5 I April 23, 1929. E. G. LITTLE RAILWAY SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1927. 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOB; E. G Lx'irt Patented Apr. 2 3,. 1929.

EDWIN G. LI TLE, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL coMrANY, or SWISSVALE, IEENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or I PENNSYLVANIA. 4 V Y RAILWAY-SWITCH-OIERATING APPARATUS.

. Application filed June 39,

In the accompanying drawings, Fig.1 is i a plan view showing a railway switchprovided with one form of operatmg apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view show ng the selecting mechanism B forming part of the switch operating apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig.

2, and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the mechanism shownin'Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a circuit controller C forming part of the mechanism shown in Fig.2 and. a portion of the means for operating such circuit controller. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing means for interlocking the bars 3, 4t and 5 in Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to simg p these blocks slide 1n the direction of motlon ilar part-s in each of the several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character A designates a railway switch comprising switch rails 15 and .15, which rails ,are connected, as usual, by a'front rod 16 and a lock rod 17. i

.Thereference character P designates a power switch-actuating mechanism compris- .ing, in the form'here shown, an electric 111 0- I tor 18, a switch-operat ng devlce 19, and a switch-locking device 20. The operating device 19 actuates a bar 5, and the locking device 20 controls a bar 7, both of which bars extend beneath the rails of the switch and enter a selecting device B which is located on the other side of the switch fromthe power mechanism P. I

' Operatively connected with .the front rod 16 of the switch A is a bar 4 which projects into the selecting mechanism B, and operatively connected with the lock rod 17 is a bar 6 which, likewise, projects intothe selecting mechanism B.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the se lecting mechanism B, in the ,form here shown, comprises a suitable casing provided with guides to receive the bars 4, 5, 6 and 7 as well as a bar 3. This bar 3 is operatively 1927. Serial No. 202,273.

connected with a manually operable switchr FFICE.

actuating mechanism, comprising a hand le'- ver 1 fixed to a shaft 2,, which is suitably journaled in the wall ofjthe mechanism casing. Alsofixed to the shaft 2 onthe inside of the casing, is a mitergear 23, meshing with a second miter gear 24 which is mountedto rotate on a stud 28 mounted, in the floor 1 will result in longitudinal motion of the bar 3.

guides to slide longitudinally in a direction perpendicular to thebars 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The

shifter plate is providedat one endwith a slot to receive two blocks 9 and 10, whereby Located'within the case of the mechanism I B is a shifter plate 11 mounted in suitable. r

these blocks are free to slide in the shifter plate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the shifter plate, so that of the bars 3, 4 and 5. The-blocks 9 and 10 co-a'ct with recesses cut in the under sides of the bars 3, 4: and 5, the manner in which this ,coactlon occurs being explainedhereinafter.

The other end of thesh-ifter'plate 11 carries a thirdblock 8, whiclrmay also slide .7

on the shifter plate in a direction perpendicular to thedirection of motion of the plate.

'Block 8 is held in place'by-a tongue on its.

The shifter plate '11 is actuated by a handoperable lever 13 fixed to a shaft .31, which projects through the wall of the casing and carries a cam 12 co-acting with a slot formed by lugs 33 projecting upwardly from the shifter plate. The shaft 31 also carries a cam 14c,'which co-acts with a yoke 22'pivotally mounted at 32 in the mechanism case. This yoke 22is connected with a link 29, which in turn is connected with the operating arm 30 of acircuit controllerC (see Fig. 5). This circuitcontroller C controls the supply of power to the power switehactuating' mechapart of my present invention, and is consequently omitted from the drawing.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the selecting mechanism is in such position that the switch A of Fig. 1 may he operated lay handf That is to say, lever 13 is swung to its leftfhand position, so that cam 12 has moved the shifter plate 11 to its extreme right-hand position as viewed in Figs. "2 and '3, with the result that block 9 co-a-c'ts with bars 3 and a to connect these bars for simultaneous movement. Block 1'0'co-acts with bar5, but serves no purpose other than to act as a guide for the right hand side of block "9 as viewed in Fig. 3. Block "8 co-acts with'bar "7 but not with bar '6, with the result that the lock rod 17 of switch Ais disconnected from bar 7 and so is disconnected from the locking device 20 of the power actuating mechanism P. The switch A may now be actuated loy swinging the hand lever 1, thereby rotating gears 23 and T24; and so sliding bar "3 upwardly, as viewed in 2. Bars '3 and 4 being operatively connected by the "block 9, it follows that th-isvmovement of the hand lever 1 will result in moving the switch A to theopposite position from that in which it is shown in Fig. 1. This operation of the switch 1s not impeded bythe locking device 20, jhecause locking her 7 is :disconnected from the look I rod 17 due to the position of block 8.

To connect the power mechanism witn the Switch, the hand lever-13 is swung to its reverse position, thereby causing the cam 12 to slide the shifter plate 11 to the .left a-s viewed in'Fig. 3. Block 10 will then operatively connect bars -1-and 5,and block 8 will :operatively connect bars 6 :and 7 This -operalrionof the hand lever 13 will also result in shifting the circuit controller C to such position that ,powor may be supplied to the mechanism P.

d hen the mechanisn'i P is operated, bar 5 gwill be shifted outwardly, vand since this bar is coupled with bar 1, the switchA will bemoved I to its reverse position. Bars and! nowheing coupled together, the switch will be "locked in its reverseiposition by the locking device 20. v I c When the selector B :isto be shifted from the power operating; position to the hand operating position, the switchmay not occue the position corres iondino to the JOSltionof the hand lever 1, so that block '9 cannot enter the recess inkbar 3. A similar con dition may exist when the selector is to be shifted from the hand operating position ito the power operating position. The cam 12 the recesses is so designed that in either event the lever 13 may be thrown beyond its vertical position, so that as soon as either the hand lever 1 or the powermechanism P is operated to in the bars into registry with th-ehlocks 8, 9 and 1iO,-the weight of lever 13 will automatically complete the movement of this lever and of shifter plate 11. This results in a saving of time when the selector mechanism B is shifted.

Preferably the cams 12 and let are so related that when the selector mechanism B is shifted from the power operating position to the hand operating position, circuit controller 'C is actuated to openthe motor circuit before the'shi'fter plate ll'hegins tomone, and that when the selector mechanism is shifted in the other direction the c'ircuitcon troller ,(lOGS not close the motor circuit until after the shifter plate has reached its full :poweryoperating position. This is a safety feature; v 1 I Although I have herein shown and described only form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that variouschanges and modifications may Zbemade therein within the scope ofy-the, appended claims without departing from the spi scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim is: s r I 1. In combination, :a railway switch, a power switch actuating mechanism, a man :u-ally operable switch actuating mechanism, a bar operatively connected with said switch, .a second bar operatively connected with-said versely with respect'fto said bars and capable of operatively connecting said first 'and s'eo "0nd bars, a secondblock mounted "to slide transversely with respect to said bars and ca pa'ble "of operatively 'connectmgsaid first and third bars, and manually operable means for sliding said .blocks. a I n 2,111 combination, a railway switch, a

ritand power switch actuating mechanism, .a manual l'yoperable :switeh actuating mechanism, a "bar operatively' connected with 'saidiswiteh, a second bar operatively connected with said power mechanism, a third bar operatively connected with said manually operable mechanism, a pair of blocks capable-of'occupying two'positio-ns in one of which oneblock oper ati'vely-eonne'cts the first and secondbars and inthe other of whichpos'itions the other block operatively connects the first anfdthirdfbars, i '7 and manually operable meansfor moving said blocks to one of said positions or the other.

3.VIn combination, a railway switch, a

bar operatively' connected with sai'dswitch, ;a

100' power mechanism, a third bar ope-rati-vely,

second bar operatively connected with said power mechanism, a third bar operatively connected with said manually operable mechanism, a pair of blocks capable of occupying two positions in one of which one block operatively connects the first and 1 second bars and in the other of which posit-ions the other block ope "atively connects the first and third bars, a slidable shifter plate carrying said blocks, a cam for sliding said shifter plate to move said blocks into one of saidpositions or the other, and a manually operable handle for actuating said cam.

4. In combination, a railway switch, a power switch actuating and locking mechanism, a manually operable switch actuating mechanism, a bar operatively connected with said switch, a second bar operatively connected with said power mechanism, a third bar operatively connected with said manually operable mechanism, a fourth bar controlled by the locking portion of said power mechanism, a fifth bar operatively connected with said switch, and manually operable means having twopositions in one of which it connects said first and second bars as well as said fourth and fifth bars, and in the other of which it connects the first and third bars but'not the fourth and fifth bars. V

5. In combination arailway switch, a

power switch actuating mechanism having an actuating device and a locking device, a manually operable SWltCll actuating mechanism and other manually operable means having two positionsin one of which it connectsthe switch with both theoperating device and the locking device ofv said power mechanism, and in the other of which positions it connects the switch with said manually operable actuating mechanism but disconnects the switch from both the operating and the locking devices of said power mechanism.

6. In combination, a railway switch, a

power switch actuating and locking mecha-v nism, a manually operable switch actuating mechanism, a circuit controller for governing the supply of power to said power mechanism, and manually operable means having two positions in one of which it connects said switch with said power actuating and looki ng mechanism and doses said circuit con troller, and in the other of which positionsit connects the switch with said manually operable actuating mechanisnrand opens said ,circuit controller.

7. In combination, a railway switch, a

power switch actuating mechanism and a manually operable switch actuating mechanism, three parallel longitudinally shdable bars the first of which isoperatively connected with said switch, the second of which is operatively connected with said power mechanism, and the third of which is operatively connected with said manually operable mechanism, said bars having registering notches, a shifter plate slidable transversely with respect to said bars, and having two operative positions, a pair of blocks slidably mounted in said shifter plate and co-actlng other "block operatively connects the first and the third bars, and manually operable means for sliding said shifter plate to one'or the other'of its operative positions.

8. In combination, arailway switch, two separate and distinct means for actuating said switch, a bar operatively connectedwith said switch, a second bar operatively connect-' ed with one of said means, a third bar operatively connected with the other of said means, a sliding block capable of ope -ati vely connecting said first and second bars, a second sliding block capable of operatively connecting said first and third bars, and manually operable means for actuating said blocks.

-9. In combination, a railway switch, two separate and distinct means for actuating said switch, a bar operatively connected with said switch, a second bar operatively con nected with one of said means, a third bar operativelyconnected withthe other of said means, a pair of blocks capable of occupying twoposit-ions in one of which one block op:

'eratively connects the first and second bars and in the other of which positions the other block operatively connects the first and third bars, and manually operable means for moving said blocks to one of said positions or the other. 7 a I 10. In combination, a railway switch, two separate and distinct means for actuating said. switch, a bar operatively connected with ed with one of said means, a third bar operatively connected with the other of said means,

a pair of blocks-capable of occupying two positions in one of which one block operativesaid switch, a second bar operatively 'connectly connects the first and second bars and in the other of which positionsthe other block operatively connects the first and third bars, I a slid able shifter plate carrying said blocks,

a cam for sliding said shi'fter]' )late to move,

the other of said devices, said bars having registering notches, a shifterplate slidable transversely with respect to said bars, and

lee

' having two operative positions, a pair of blocks sli dably mounted in said shifter plate 11ml co-uoting with the notches in saicl'bars in such manner that when the plate occupies 5 oneoperative position one block operatively connects the first zuiclthe second bars, and that when the shifter plate occupies its other to one or the other of its operative :positions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWIN G. LIT LE. 

